The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Liver Health

The Hepatitis C Trust runs the secretariat for the The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Liver Health, a cross-party group of MPs and Peers who have come together to tackle the growing problem of liver disease and its major causes – hepatitis C, obesity, alcohol and hepatitis B. The APPG holds meetings and events and publishes reports – including the 2018 report, Eliminating Hepatitis C in England – to raise awareness of liver disease in Parliament and in the media.

Keep up to the date with the work of the APPG, and browse the group’s reports, at www.appghep.org.uk.

The current officers for the group are:

Sir David Amess MP, Co-Chair – Conservative MP for Southend West

Sir David has been involved with the APPG on Liver Health, championing the needs of liver patients, since 2005.“It has been my pleasure to co-chair the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Liver Health for over 10 years. During this time we have raised important issues around hepatitis C awareness and the importance of improving services to Ministers and the media. Particularly through our inquiry into liver disease, we have helped put the issue firmly onto the policy agenda, and I look forward to continuing this work.”

Baroness Randerson, Co-Chair, Liberal Democrat Peer

“I am delighted to be able to support the APPHG and to have been elected once again as co-chair. I have campaigned for better diagnosis and treatment for hepatitis C patients for several years now. Liver disease in general continues to be too often ignored when health priorities are discussed. It is simply unacceptable that we accept a rise in deaths from liver disease when so many can be prevented. I am determined to continue doing whatever I can in the House of Lords to raise these issues up the political agenda.”

Baroness Randerson is a former Welsh Assembly Member, who previously supported the work of The Hepatitis C Trust in Wales and most recently served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales from 2012 - 2015. We are pleased to welcome her back as a co-chair of the APPG.

Baroness Masham of Ilton, Co-Chair, Cross-bench Peer

Baroness Masham is a long-standing and dedicated member of the group, who works hard in the House of Lords as a campaigner on many health issues. She is President or Vice-President of over 25 organisations, so we are lucky that she still finds time to work so tirelessly on behalf of hepatitis C patients.

Virendra Sharma MP, Vice-Chair, Labour MP for Ealing Southall

Virendra Sharma MP is a well-respected health campaigner in Parliament who is particularly concerned about the high prevalence of hepatitis C among South Asians. With his constituency home to a high number of people from South Asian communities, Virendra does a lot to raise awareness of this issue, including hosting awareness and testing events for World Hepatitis Day.

Dr Philippa Whitford MP, Vice-Chair, SNP MP for Central Ayrshire

Dr Philippa Whitford is the Scottish National Party's Health Spokesperson in the House of Commons, having previously worked as a surgeon. Dr Whitford has spoken about the need to increase access to hepatitis C treatment and was elected Vice Chair of the APPG in late 2018.